Diving vest

ABSTRACT

Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus is provided with a nonstretching jacket extending to the user&#39;&#39;s waist, inside which a flexible double-walled jacket, connected to a transparent helmet, is pressurized so that it seals water out at waist and sleeve ends, and provides a compliance to allow breathing without any change in the total volume of water displaced by the diver and jacket, since inhalation deflates the flexible bladderlike jacket by approximately the volume inhaled. Improved thermal insulation, ease of breathing, freedom of breathing circuit from water entry, and ready leak detection result.

United States Patent [7 Inventor Frederick Park" 2.929.377 3/1960Cummins 128/1425 Brwmlh 3,107,678 10/1963 $1111 128/1425 x 3 3 FORElGNPATENTS 22 i e ar. 1 Patented y 27 97 1,317,654 France [731' AssigneeGeneral Electric Company Primary ExaminerRichard A. Gaudet AssistantExaminer-G. F. Dunne Attorneys-Allen E. Amgott, William G. Becker, HenryW.

Kaufmann, Paul F. Prestia, Frank L. Neuhauser and Oscar [54] DIVING VESTB. Waddell '2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs. 7 [52] US- Cl 128/1425, ABSTRACT:Se]f comained unde'rwater breathing apparatus v 2/21 is provided with anonstretching jacket extending to the users [5 l] Int. Cl A62b 7/04waist inside which a flexible doublewvalled jacket, connected Fltld OISCGICII to a transparent h l t i Pressurized so th t i seals water t2/21; 128/1425 147-5 at waist andsleeve ends, and provides a complianceto allow v breathing without any change in the total volume of waterdis- [56] References cued I placed by the diver and jacket, sinceinhalation deflates the v UNlTED STATES PATENTS flexible bladderlikejacket by approximately the volume in- 2,335,474 1 1/1943 Beall 128/1425X haled. Improved thermal insulation, ease of breathing, 2,792,8325/1957 Galeazzi 128/1425 freedom of breathing circuit from water entry,and ready leak 2,886,027 5/1959 Henry 128/1 detection result.

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AGE/VT DIVING VEST CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Ser. No.664,448, filed Aug. 30, I967, Diving Apparatus, Frederick A. Parker, nowUS. Pat. No. 3,5 l 5,l 33.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field ofthe Invention This inventionpertains to self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.

2. Description of the Prior Art The old conventional diving dresssurrounds the diver with a flexible impervious suit hermeticallyconnected to a helmet provided with air under pressure from a hose, anda bleeder valve which permits excess air to leak out at such a rate thatthe helmet is kept clear of water. However, the suit is not fullyinflated in normal operation. Indeed, under emergencies so grave as tojustify the risk of rapid decompression it was known to close down onthe bleeder valve to'cause the suit to become fully inflated and floatthe diver to the surfacea procedure sometimes known as "blowing thesuit".

More modern self-contained breathing apparatus provides varying degreesof enclosure, from the simple mouthpiece which leaves the diver entirelyexposed to surrounding water, to completely enclosing suits which may belined with thermal insulating material and which, for better thermalinsulation, may provide an additional small volume of air to keepexternal water pressure from forcing the diver into too good thermalcontact with the suit. The use of an inflated seal to keep water fromentering the helmet around the neck line is also known. None of theprior art provides an air pocket surrounding the divers chest region sothat he may breathe with his chest displacing low-viscosity air ratherthan the much higher viscosity water, which latter imposes a greatphysical burden for its displacement by the chest movements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I provide the diver with a nonstretchingshort-sleeved (or jerkin-style) jacket extending to his waist, and largeenough to provide room for the fullest possible expansion of his lungs.Inside the jacket I provide a double-walled bladder vest which isconnected to a helmet andso becomes inflated with air (or otherbreathable mixture) at the pressure existing inside the helmet. Itsexpansion around the waist causes it to press against the lower edge ofthe jacket (to which it may, indeed, be sealed) and against the diversbody at the waist line, forming a watertight seal. In the simplestembodiment of my invention, the quality of the breathable mixture may bemaintained by means for automatic absorption of carbon dioxide producedby the diver and for automatic addition ofoxygen as it is consumed, withnegligible change in the total volume of breathing mixture in theapparatus and the divers lungs. As the diver inhales, his lungs expand,displacing breathing mixture from the bladder vest in the same volume ashe inhales. As he exhales, his lungs contract, adding breathing mixtureto the bladder vest in the same volume as he exhales. Thus the diversbreathing is accomplished without change in the total volume of waterthat he and his gear displace. In other words, his chest moves in andout with air on its outer side, without the necessity of forcing denseand viscous water to move. His breathing effort is thus much reduced.Furthermore, the external air layer provides good thermal insulation;any leak in the system will be readily detected by emerging air bubbleswhile any water which has entered through the leak is still well down inthe bladder vest, far from the breathing circuits; and the diversextremities (which do not expand and contract with his breathing) areleft free for unrestricted movement.

In my copending disclosure of reference, I teach the use of a diaphragmpump operated by water pressure to provide powered assistance inbreathing. My present invention may be applied to this, without changein principle, by including in the bladder vest flexible inserts (whichmay conveniently have the form of tubes extending longitudinally intothe air-filled volume of the bladder vest) which serve as reservoirs ofthe water used to drive the pump. The effect is the same: when the pumpdiaphragm moves to displace breathing mixture into the divers lungs, avolume of water is drawn from the tubes which is equal to the volume ofair displaced. Consequently the total volume of the bladder vest isreduced by the same amount as the divers chest expands. When the pumpdiaphragm is displaced in the opposite direction to draw air from thedivers lungs, it displaces water into the tubes in a volume equal to theamount by which the divers lungs contract, increasing the total bladdervest volume by the proper amount to maintain constant the total volumeof external water displaced by the diver plus his suit.

It is possible, within the scope of the invention, to extend thenonstretching outer garment to include the divers extremities, andsimilarly extend the bladder garment inside it, to provide thermalinsulation for the entire body. However, the almost inevitable volumechanges not connected with breathing which would be produced by motionof the extremities would appear to render this stratagem less desirablethan the embodiments first described, although it would be possible toseparate the bladder portions surrounding the extremities and connectthem with the bladder vest proper through small orifices which woulddamp the transmission of such volume changes to the bladder vest proper,while still providing low but adequate inflation of the insulatingjackets around the extremities.

While my invention has been described particularly in connection withself-contained breathing apparatus, it is evident that one might, as,for example, in operating close to an underwater installation providedwith sources of oxygen, provide oxygen through a hose which could besmaller and less cumbersome than the hose of the conventional divingdress. Such a diving apparatus would obviously not be self-contained.But so long as the volume of, gas supplied in a given time were smallcompared with the divers tidal volume breathed during the same time, theapplication and benefits of my invention would be the same, since thevolume of breathing mixture in the apparatus would be substantiallyconstant, changing only slowly if at all.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 represents schematically,partly in section, an em-.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, there isrepresented a helmet 12, which may preferably be generally spherical inshape and of transparent plastic. At its edge 14 it is sealed by anyconvenient means to the outer wall 16 of double-walled bladder vest 18,whose inner wall 20 is separate from wall 16 in order that its innerspace may be in communication with the space inside helmet 12. Thisbladder vest l8 surrounds the body of the diver 22 down as far as hiswaist 24, encompassing the part of the body which expands and contractsduring breathing. A nonstretching outer garment 26 surrounds vest l8closely enough so that expansion of vest 18'by internal pressure canform watertight seals between vest l8 and the divers body, as at waist24.

The breathing mixture is circulated and maintained in quality andpressure by the following components. Oral-nasal cavity 28 ofconventional design is connected with the divers mouth and nose. It isalso connected to check valve 30, which vents exhaled air into thehelmet 12 and (through its connection with the interior of vest 18) intothe interior space of vest 18, so that vest l8 inflates and increases involume by the same amount as the decrease in the volume occupied by thedivers trunk. When the diver inhales, air flows from the helmet 12 (andthe interior of vest 18) through check valve 32 into housing 34 (whichserves as the inlet connection to the quality maintaining means), whereit encounters oxygen sensor 36 (which may be a fuel cell type sensor ofthe kind described in US Pat. No. 3,149,921 of Warner). The output ofoxygen sensor 36 is electrical, and is connected to open solenoid valveif the partial pressure of oxygen is subnormal, i.e. below a valuepredetermined as normal. This permits oxygen to flow from oxygen store40 into the pipe 42 connected to the outlet end of housing 34. Afterpassing oxygen sensor 36, the air passes through a carbon dioxideabsorbent 44 in housing 34, into pipe 42 where it is mixed with anyaddition of oxygen which may have come from store 40. A regulating valve46 (which regulates with respect to the pressure of the external ambientwater which is predetermined by the diver's depth) controls the flow ofinert diluent gas (which may be nitrogen or argon or helium) from store48 as required to maintain the pressure inside the system sufficientlyabove the external water pressure to insure the inflation of bladdervest 18. A pressure differential of the order of a pound per square inchis sufficient for this purpose. To relieve any excess of pressure (asmay occur if the diver ascends) relief valve 50, which operates withrespect to the pressure of the external ambient water, is connectedbetween pipe 42 and the outside. It is set to vent at a pressureslightly greater than that for which regulating valve 46 is set. The airdrawn through housing 34 passes through pipe 42 (the outlet connectionof the quality maintaining means), through check valve 52, to oral-nasalcavity 28, where it is inhaled by the diver. As the diver inhales, andhis lungs expand, they move the inside wall of vest l8, reducing theinterior volume ofthe vest by the same volume as the diver has inhaled.

Since the change in volume of the vest 18 is equal and opposite to thechange in volume of the divers trunk during both inhalation andexhalation, the total volume of water displaced by the diver and theapparatus will remain constant. Thus it is possible to maintain in thehelmet a pressure measurably above the external water pressure (insuringthat any leakage will be primarily outward in the form of visiblebubbles) without requiring the divers lungs, and chest muscles, to workagainst that pressure difference. The work the diver must do isprimarily that required to force the inhaled air through the checkvalves 32 and 52 and the absorbent 44, which is no greater than if hewere using the same equipment in air (or, for example, an unbreathableatmosphere).

In practice, to avoid danger of accidental collapse of the bladder vest18 under pressure of the divers body against it, it

may be desirable to provide tubes extending from the open neck regioninto various parts of the interior of the vest, to insure that breathingmixture will reach each part of the vest and expand it appropriately.

For use of power-assisted breathing apparatus, as described in mycopending application of reference my invention may be applied asrepresented by FIG. 2.

Since many of the elements of FIG. 1 appear also in FIG. 2, of the samenature and performing the same function, those elements have been giventhe same reference numbers in both figures. Thus, for example oral-nasalcavity 28, check valve 30, and check valve 52 serve to connect to thedivers respiratory system and to steer his exhalations and inhalationsto appropriate parts of the apparatus; oxygen store 40 supplies oxygenas required through solenoid valve 38, which is controlled by oxygensensor 36; diluent gas source 48 supplies diluent through regulatorvalve 46; relief valve relieves any excessive pressure; and helmet 12and nonstretching outer garment 26 serve substantially the samefunctions in both embodiments.

The additions which particularly distinguish the embodiment of FIG. 2from the simpler one of FIG. 1 are as follows: A hydraulically operatedpiston pump generally denoted as 54 comprises a cylinder 56, a piston 58movable therein, sealed hermetically with respect to the cylinder wallsby a flexible sleeve 60; and the piston 58 is biased toward the bottomof the cylinder 56 (as represented by spring 62 so that, in the absenceof any opposing pressure against it, it tends to move downward and drawthrough check valve 64 and pipe 66 breathing mixture from the interiorof helmet 12. Such opposing pressure is provided, when required to forcebreathing mixture through carbon dioxide absorbent and thence throughpipe 68 and check valve 52 into oral-nasal cavity 28, by pump 70, whichis driven by motor 72, powered by battery 74. A spring-loaded hydraulicaccumulator 76 is connected at the discharge side of pump 70 to even outthe load on it. The application of hydraulic pressure from hydraulicpump 70 to diaphragm 58 of piston pump 54 is controlled by three-wayvalve 78, which is represented in a position to permit the applicationof pressure through pipe 80 to the lower side of diaphragm 58. Whenvalve 78 is rotated (by means to be described) to the alternate positionrepresented in FIG. 3, piston 58 is moved downward, in compliance withthe force exerted by spring 62, drawing breathing mixture from thehelmet 12 through pipe 66 and check valve 64, as has been described; andits downward movement forces water from its under side through pipe 80,through valve 78 in the position represented in FIG. 3, and thencethrough pipe 82 into header 84, which is connected to water tubes 86,which form a part of bladder vest 88, which is a cognate of bladder vest18 of FIG. 1. The use of hydraulically operated piston pump 54 producesan alteration in the total volume of the part of the entire system whichcontains breathing mixture; when the diver 22 inhales as the pump piston58 moves upward, his trunk expands without there being any provision ofa corresponding flow of an equal volume of breathing mixture out of theportion of bladder vest 88 which contains breathing mixture; when diver22 exhales as pump piston 58 moves downward, there is no provision foradding to the breathing-mixture part of bladder vest 88 a volume of airequal to the reduction in the volume of the diver's trunk. But theoperation of pump 54 causes the displacement of an equal volume ofwater. Therefore the simple bladder vest 18 ofFlG. 1 is modified by theaddition of water tubes 86, connected by header 84, forming bladder vest88 whose total volume may be appropriately adjusted by influx and effluxof water into its water'compartments. Thus the influx of water via pipe82, when the diver 22 exhales, increases the total volume of bladdervest 88 by an amount equal to the amount by which the divers trunkvolume has been reduced. Similarly, when the diver inhales, water flowsthrough pipe 90 and valve 92 through the pump 70 and valve 78 and pipe80 into cylinder 56 in an amount equal to the increase in the diverstrunk volume. Valve 92 is normally left in the position shown, but maybe turned in initiating operation of the apparatus so that it bleeds airout of the system through check valve 94. Similarly, check valve 96serves to prime the system with water on starting up. Relief valve 98serves to relieve any excessive water pressure developed.

The description of FIG. 2 is complete except for the explanation of howvalve 78 is operated in accordance with the divers desire to inhale orexhale. This is accomplished as follows: A diaphragm-type pressuredifference sensor 100 is connected between pipes 68 and 66. Itsdiaphragm is connected to actuate a switch 102 (represented as arectangle; it may be of various forms, and may be located inside thehousing in close proximity of the diaphragm of sensor 100). Switch 102is connected to rotator 104, which is mechanically connected to rotatevalve 78. Since only a quarter of a circle of rotation is required,rotator 104 (although it might be a conventional commutator-type motorequipped with limit switches to stop it at its desired extremes ofrotation) may be a simple rotary solenoid or equivalent. It may beconstructed to require application of potential only to move it from afirst position to a second, and have a spring to return it to the firstposition as soon as potential is removed. The nature of the contactarrangement of switch 102 will obviously depend upon the exact nature ofrotator 104. An arrow indicates that 102 and 104 are connected tobattery 74, to derive necessary power from it. The function required issimply that, when the diver 22 inhales, drawing breathing mixturethrough check valve 52 and reducing the pressure on the top side of thediaphragm of sensor 100, switch 102 functions in such a way that rotator104 turns valve 78 to the position represented in FIG. 2; and when thediver exhales, discharging his exhalation out through check valve 30 andcausing an increase in pressure in pipe 66,

raising the diaphragm of sensor 100, switch 102 functions in .exhalecauses pump 56 to draw off breathing mixture from him; andsimultaneously the volume of water in the water compartments 86 plus 84of bladder vest 88 is adjusted to I compensate for the required changein the diver's trunk volume, preserving a constant total volume insidenonstretchable garment 26.

To generalize the essentials of the two embodiments described in orderthat they may be subsumed under one generic description, it appearsdesirable to recapitulate.

Clearly, the volume-balancing of inhalation and exhalation with changesin volume of the bladder vest is useful primarily in a system in whichthe volume of gas approximates constancy-in other words, in which anygas supplied in a given period is small compared with the total volumeof the diver's breathing during the same period. Sources of oxygen anddiluent gas, and carbon dioxide remover, together with regulating meansfor them and for regulating breathing mixture at the requisite pressuremay be generalized as quality maintaining means. The bladder-vest isgenerically a double-walled flexible inner garment; it must be suitableto surround the diver's body from helmet to waist, although it mayextend further than that. Its outer edge is sealed to the edge of thehelmet in the sense that it provides a hermetic seal; a clamping ring orother conventional removable means may constitute such a seal; the term"seal" here not being used to indicate permanence in the sense of acemented seal. The outer nonstretchable jacket may be generalized as anonstretching outer garment. In the embodiment of FIG; 2, in which thevest 88 is rovided with a header 84 and tubes 86 connected to the header84, the header and tubes form a flexible water chamber which is part ofvest 88, but closed to flow between itself and the remainder of theinterior of vest 88,

I claim:

1. In an underwater breathing apparatus in which the volume of gassupplied in a given period is small compared with the total volumeinhaled and exhaled by the diver during the same period. the improvementcomprising:

A helmet connected through a first check valve for flow of breathingmixture to the inlet connection;

Quality-maintaining means to maintain the breathable quality ofbreathing mixture in the helmet and to maintain a pressure of breathingmixture therein approximately equal to the pressure of external ambientwater, having separate inlet and outlet connections, having connectedbetween the said inlet and outlet connections carbon dioxide absorbingmeans in series with oxygen replenishment means automatically controlledto maintain a predetermined partial pressure of oxygen in the breathingmixture; and having a source of inert diluent gas controlled to maintaina predetermined total pressure of breathing mixture;

An oral-nasal cavity within the helmet, connected through a second checkvalve to the outlet connection of the quality maintaining means topermit flow of breathing mixture from the outlet connection to theoral-nasal cavity; and connected through a third check valve to thespace within the helmet to permit flow of exhaled breathing mixture fromthe oral-nasal cavity to the space within the helmet;

A double-walled flexible inner garment adapted to surround the diver'sbody from the helmet to his waist, its outer wall being sealed to theedge of the helmet, its interior being connected to the interior of thehelmet;

A nonstretching outer garment adapted to surround the double-walledflexible inner garment, fitting the inner garment sufficiently closelyso that inflation of the latter can cause the inner garment to pressagainst the interior of the outer garment and form a seal between theouter garment and the body of the diver.

2. The improvement claimed in claim 1 in which the therein said innergarment further comprises a flexible water chamber closed to flowbetween it and the remainder of the interior of the inner garment; andthe therein said quality maintaining means comprises a hydraulicallyoperated breathing mixture pump whose hydraulic drive connection isconnected to the said flexible water chamber, the said pump being soconstructed and connected that the volume of breathing mixture itdisplaces to the oral-nasal cavity is equal to the volume of water itdisplaces from the flexible water chamber, and the volume of breathingmixture it displaces from the helmet is equal to the volume of water itdisplaces to the flexible water chamber.

1. In an underwater breathing apparatus in which the volume of gassupplied in a given period is small compared with the total volumeinhaled and exhaled by the diver during the same period, the improvementcomprising: A helmet connected through a first check valve for flow ofbreathing mixture to the inlet connection; Quality-maintaining means tomaintain the breathable quality of breathing mixture in the helmet andto maintain a pressure of breathing mixture therein approximately equalto the pressure of external ambient water, having separate inlet andoutlet connections, having connected between the said inlet and outletconnections carbon dioxide absorbing means in series with oxygenreplenishment means automatically controlled to maintain a predeterminedpartial pressure of oxygen in the breathing mixture; and having a sourceof inert diluent gas controlled to maintain a predetermined totalpressure of breathing mixture; An oral-nasal cavity within the helmet,connected through a second check valve to the outlet connection of thequality maintaining means to permit flow of breathing mixture from theoutlet connection to the oral-nasal cavity; and connected through athird check valve to the space within the helmet to permit flow ofexhaled breathing mixture from the oral-nasal cavity to the space withinthe helmet; A double-walled flexible inner garment adapted to surroundthe diver''s body from the helmet to his waist, its outer wall beingsealed to the edge of the helmet, its interior being connected to theinterior of the helmet; A nonstretching outer garment adapted tosurround the doublewalled flexible inner garment, fitting the innergarment sufficiently closely so that inflation of the latter can causethe inner garment to press against the interior of the outer garment andform a seal between the outer garment and the body of the diver.
 2. Theimprovement claimed in claim 1 in which the therein said inner garmentfurther comprises a flexible water chamber closed to flow between it andthe remainder of the interior of the inner garment; and the therein saidquality maintaining means comprises a hydraulically operated breathingmixture pump whose hydraulic drive connection is connected to the saidflexible water chamber, the said pump being so constructed and connectedthat the volume of breathing mixture it displaces to the oral-nasalcavity is equal to the volume of water it displaces from the flexiblewater chamber, and the volume of breathing mixture it displaces from thehelmet is equal to the volume of water it displaces to the flexiblewater chamber.